The ASA received complaints from the NHS Business Services Authority and eight members of the public.

They said: “The advert must not appear again in the form complained of.

“We told EHIC Applications UK to ensure that their website did not create a misleading impression that it was the official NHS website for EHIC applications or that they were affiliated with the official NHS website, for example, by including text that resembled the NHS logo.

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“The website should make immediately clear the non-official nature of the service on offer and the additional cost of using that service compared to using the official service directly.

“We also told them to ensure that any qualifications were sufficiently prominent (for example, in conjunction with initial claims or calls to action, such as an application form or ‘Apply Now’ button), so as not to mislead consumers about the nature of their service.”

The website was still running the ad today but the ASA can impose sanctions if they fail to comply.

What is an EHIC and how do I get one?

The EHIC, or European Health Insurance Card, is free and gets free or discounted medical care in all EU countries – plus some others.

If you’re in Europe and you’ve got an EHIC, you’ll be entitled to the same treatment that local citizens are entitled to. If they get free medical treatment then you do too – if they pay, you pay the same rates.

All UK residents are eligible, residents of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man aren’t.

The EHIC gives valuable protection but should never be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. Travel insurance has a much wider level of cover than the EHIC.

There are several ways to register for a card. Generally, it’ll take about seven to 10 days for it to come through.

Apply on the EHIC website, or find more info on the NHS website, or call 0300 330 1350 to apply.

You can also print the application form from the NHS website, fill it in and post it to: NHS Business Services Authority, European Health Insurance Card, EHIC Applications, Bridge House, 152 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 6SN.

You can’t get an EHIC from your doctor, nor can you get one from a post office.

Miles Lockwood, director of complaints investigations at ASA, said: “Some websites that offer access to official online government services but are not the official channel and often charge a premium for their service can confuse and mislead consumers.

“We encourage any consumers who are renewing their driver’s licence, passport, submitting a tax return or applying for an EHIC card or similar to go direct to the official gov.uk site.

“And, if anyone sees a website for an unofficial channel that they believe misleadingly implies it’s the official provider of one of these services to get in touch with us.

“We will take action against problem businesses.

“We’ve worked alongside government, trading standards and search engines to tackle any sites that continue to mislead, this has included arrests of individuals by National Trading Standards eCrime Unit.”